Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...

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Joseph Smith taught that Latter-day Saints were actually descendants of theTwelve Tribes of Israel – specifically the tribe of Ephraim, and as such shared “Israeliteancestry with the Jews.” 8 This shared ancestry led to a spirit of brotherliness, at leastfrom the Mormon perspective, and a sense of common purpose in the restorationprophesied anciently to come about in the latter days. According to Smith,We [the house of Israel] are the favored people that God has made choiceof to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to participate in andhelp to roll forward the Latter-day glory, “the dispensation of the fulnessof times, when God will gather together all things that are in heaven, andall things that are upon the earth,” “even in one,” when the Saints of Godwill be gathered in one from every nation, and kindred, and people, andtongue, when the Jews will be gathered together into one. 9Along with a sense of common ancestry and camaraderie, Smith taught that thegathering spoken of in the Bible was already underway, and the Latter-day Saints had amost important role in that gathering. The gathering would consist of two branches: theancient kingdom of Judah, and the “lost” tribes of Israel. 10Judah would be gathered toJerusalem, and the other tribes, led by Ephraim (Latter-day Saints), would gather to Zion,located in America. “The city of Zion spoken of by David,” he claimed, “will be builtupon the land of America. . . But Judah shall obtain deliverance at Jerusalem.” 11 Thegathering was to consist not only of Latter-day Saints' gathering in the elect from amongthe “lost tribes” (i.e., conversion to the Mormon faith), but also a literal gathering of theJews to Jerusalem, and a redemption of the land. Within this notion was theunderstanding that Jews were not, therefore, cut off from the ancient covenant. Their891011Mauss, All Abraham's Children, 164; see also Rudolf Glanz, Jew and Mormon: Historic GroupRelations and Religious Outlook (New York: Waldon Press, 1963), 51-55.Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. (SaltLake City: Deseret Book, 1938), 231.Mauss, All Abraham's Children, 164.Joseph Smith, Teachings, 17.6
covenant relationship and promise of future redemption remained very much alive, andits realization would be part of the fulfillment of prophesy leading to the (second) comingof the Messiah. “No spiritual restoration of the people would be complete or successful ifit did not include the return and reconstruction of the people in their own land.” 12This expectation that a restoration includes a return of the Jews to Palestine is adistinctive component to Mormon theology, but it is also occasionally found in otherAmerican Christian traditions of the early nineteenth century. Napoleon’s appearance inEurope for instance was seen by certain groups as evidence of the imminent gatheringforetold in the Old Testament. 13Yet, the Mormon perception of the Jews' gathering was also unique in that forthem it was part of a larger gathering, in which the Latter-day Saints claimed a verysignificant part. And even in the years since Joseph Smith's death the idea of gatheringand the return of the Jews continued to animate Mormon theology. In fact, everyMormon prophet from Smith to the modern day has reiterated the Mormon covenantalrelationship and its place in the fulfillment of prophecy. “Every sentiment and feeling,”Brigham Young wrote in 1853, “should be to cleanse the earth from wickedness, to purifythe people, sanctify the nations, gather the nations of Israel home, redeem and build upZion, redeem Jerusalem and gather the Jews there, and establish the reign and kingdom ofGod on earth.” 14Likewise, Orson Pratt, another contemporary of Joseph Smith andBrigham Young, predicted the return of the Jews to the land of their fathers. “The Jewsand the ten tribes shall return. . . Jerusalem will be redeemed from the hands of the121314Stephen D. Ricks, “From Joseph to Joseph: Covenant and Chosenness in the Revelations and Writingsof Joseph Smith,” in Covenant and Chosenness in Judaism and Mormonism, Raphael Jospe, Truman G.Madsen, and Seth Ward, ed. (Cranbury, New Jersey: Associated University Presses, 2001), 96.Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 95-96.Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 52.7
Page 2 and 3: AcknowledgementsI am indebted to Pr
Page 4 and 5: Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1Ch
Page 6 and 7: elationship in any depth.In researc
Page 8 and 9: friendships with various Israeli le
Page 12 and 13: Gentiles, and it will be again inha
Page 14 and 15: for their long suffering. Yet, he,
Page 16 and 17: focus on both the fulfillment of pr
Page 18 and 19: Smith and Brigham Young, as previou
Page 20 and 21: Smith, the members of the group “
Page 22 and 23: Jews.'” 46Benjamin further descri
Page 24 and 25: Chapter 2: Benson's Religious Leade
Page 26 and 27: audiences. The first, called, “Je
Page 28 and 29: Benson's sense of kinship for the J
Page 30 and 31: eturn of the Jews to the land of Pa
Page 32 and 33: general mention of his efforts at s
Page 34 and 35: Or perhaps it did not aid in his ap
Page 36 and 37: about Jews and Israel, throughout t
Page 38 and 39: and Peter Grose describe the frustr
Page 40 and 41: Israel's victory in the Six Day War
Page 42 and 43: the Messiah. Indeed, both Benson an
Page 44 and 45: those visits, as opposed to those o
Page 46 and 47: U.S. agricultural products on credi
Page 48 and 49: The American public, though divided
Page 50 and 51: States.” 133Indeed, a Gallup poll
Page 52 and 53: with Britain and France, for their
Page 54 and 55: many Americans that Israel was now,
Page 56 and 57: those experiences to give validity
Page 58 and 59: Benson, “I want you to pray to Go
Page 60 and 61:
gathering. Some of those themes inc
Page 62 and 63:
Ben Gurion and Levi Eshkol, both of
Page 64 and 65:
sending “two Mormon Books,” and
Page 66 and 67:
Yet Ben Gurion's next letter, dated
Page 68 and 69:
on this occasion with Shimon Peres
Page 70 and 71:
cultivate land for crops in the 194
Page 72 and 73:
attitude in the Synagogue Light art
Page 74 and 75:
United States, his views on Israel
Page 76 and 77:
eminded the host that he had not be
Page 78 and 79:
Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
Page 80 and 81:
"Though Thy servant is now far from
Page 82 and 83:
BibliographyAlteras, Isaac. Eisenho
Page 84 and 85:
Madsen, Truman G. “Mormon Attitud
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